Bush Never Fixed Tax Code "Mess"

By: Mark Knoller
Topics: Field Notes

(CBS)

Mark Knoller is a White House Correspondent for CBS News.

On this final tax filing day of George Bush's presidency, his campaign promise to fix the "complicated mess" that is the U.S. Tax Code remains unfulfilled.

In 2004, he ran for re-election asserting that the American people deserve – and the U.S. economy demands – "a simpler, fairer, pro-growth system."

He used his acceptance speech at the Republican National Convention that year to decry the tax code as "a complicated mess, filled with special interest loopholes, saddling our people with more than six billion hours of paperwork and headache every year."

He promised that in his second term, he would "lead a bipartisan effort to reform and simplify the federal tax code."

A couple of weeks before his Inauguration, he established a Presidential panel to advise him on ways to reform the tax code. It reported its recommendations on Nov. 1, 2005. But its ideas have been gathering dust ever since.

The secretary of the treasury was supposed to evaluate the panel's report and send it on to President Bush, but it never happened.

Mr. Bush has rarely mentioned the issue in his second term. Higher up on his agenda was his program to overhaul the Social Security system. That effort failed. He also was unable to win approval of his plan to "reform" the nation's Immigration laws. And after the Democrats won control of Congress, tax code simplification fell off the radar.

"It doesn't appear that there is much appetite in Congress right now to address major tax reform," says White House Deputy Press Secretary Tony Fratto.

He says the President's tax priority in his final year it "trying to prevent Congress from raising taxes" by making his tax cuts permanent.

President Bush is not the first to fail at enacting tax code reform. Jimmy Carter ran for the White House in 1976 calling the tax code "a disgrace to the human race." The federal tax code has only become more complex in the years since.

Mark Knoller
Mark Knoller is a CBS News White House correspondent.
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by leftyintexas April 16, 2008 5:56 PM EDT: Ask yourselves this: Has bush EVER finished ANYTHING he started?; Reply to this comment


by sargelrb April 15, 2008 10:08 PM EDT: I agree, it was never solved, and I am very glad Mr Bush is about to leave office, but remember, presidents have been making the same tax simplification promis as long as I can remember and I can remember Eisenhower. The Congress must take the first steps to solve the tax code problem, and we should demand it.; Reply to this comment


by thepentangle April 15, 2008 9:57 PM EDT: With all the money that we spend (middle and working class) on products and donations to campaigns, we could''ve pooled our money together to make public owned companies to undermine the fabric of greedy corporate america. Imagine pooling our money together and making a publicly ran oil company with no high priced executives or investors.

We probally could negotiate a deal with Venezuela. Chavez would love to support a company that would bring down the oil giants!

Presto, undermine and ruin established oil companies! When their bankrupt, buy their assetts, fire the big wigs and move to the next sector!

We can do this with Auto, health care, insurance, drug companies, and all imports.

Provide jobs without the wall street nvestor ties and the corporate stingy overhead!; Reply to this comment


by xlib April 15, 2008 7:22 PM EDT: Yep, must have been due to all the obstruction, but, no fear, dems get in taxes increase. That''s all they know.; Reply to this comment


by creeper00 April 15, 2008 6:11 PM EDT: Oh, my god! Bush didn''t keep a promise! I''m shocked. This is really news. Way to go, Couric and Knoller. What a scoop!; Reply to this comment


by forthepeopl1 April 15, 2008 4:11 PM EDT: if it aint MR. POTATOHEAD, LOOKS PRITTY SCARED DOENT HE. ITS FUNNY TO HAVE THIS INSIDER OF WALLSTREET HAVE SO MUCH POWER..

LISTEN IF THEY ( CONGRESS) WOULD DO THERE JOBS WE WOULDN''''''''T BE IN THIS MESS.

ANYONE THAT TOOK OUT LOANS FROM 2000 TO 2007
REGARDLESS OF WHAT THERE CREDIT LOOKS LIKE RIGHT NOW, BECAUSE OF THIS MESS MOST HAVE LOST THEIR GOOD RATING.

THEY NEED TO COME OUT AND TELL ALL MORTGAGE COMPANYS

TO RE-FI EVERYONE NOW. NO EXCEPTION IF THEY HAVE A
MORTGAGE THAN TAKE 60% OFF THE BALLANCE AND RE-FI THEM AT 1 PERCENT OVER PRIME AND STOP ALL THE BLEEDING FOR ONCE..THAT IS ALL THAT HAS TO BE DONE, SIMPLE,FAST,AND IT WOULD STOP ALL FORCLOSEINGS,BURNINGS OF HOMES,AND STOP 10''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''S OF MILLIONS FROM BEING ON THE STREET..

THIS IS MORE INPORTANT, THAN THIS ***.

OR HOW ABOUT REPORTING THAT WE THE PEOPLE WANT TO KNOW THIS FROM CLINTON AND MCCAIN. WHAT DO YOU WANT TO SAY TO THE 374,298 AMERICANS DEAD,HURT,MAIMED IN THIS WAR YOU SUPPOTED FROM THE START..HOW ABOUT ASKING THEM THIS

TIME TO MARCH DOWN AND TAKE THEM OUT..; Reply to this comment